For more information:
• Oneida Baptist Institute, P.O. Box 67, Oneida, KY 40972, (606) 847-4111

Producer: Charlee Heaton

100 Years of Christian Education ...

Oneida Baptist Institute

In June of 1999, the Oneida Baptist Institute celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding. This boarding school in Clay County was the brainchild of James Anderson Burns, a Baptist minister and lecturer on the chautauqua circuit of the late 19th century. Dismayed at the violence sometimes exhibited in the feuds of the time, Burns was determined to offer an alternative for the children of Eastern Kentucky: a school where they could be educated both in academic subjects and in the ways of Christian peace and charity.

Today, the institute is highly regarded for academic excellence—and for its century-long adherence to the values Burns espoused. A complete middle and high school curriculum is offered, and all students participate in a work-study program that helps pay their expenses. Those students have come from around the world, and the alumni include at least one Kentucky governor: Bert T. Combs, whose grandfather had participated in Oneida’s founding.

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For more information:
• Mingo Spirit Singers, c/o Curtis Worner, 11010 Altsheler Place, Louisville, KY 40229, (502) 969-8442

Producer, videographer: Dave Shuffett

... 200 Years of Native Song ...

The Mingo Spirit Singers

In the late 1700s, when white settlers began establishing permanent towns in the Ohio Valley region, several of the small Native American tribes of the area banded together as the Mingos, a confederation dedicated to seeking peaceful coexistence with the newcomers. Today, that spirit is remembered and celebrated by the Mingo Spirit Singers of Louisville. On this visit, we hear the Spirit Singers perform several Mingo songs in their original languages.

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For more information:
• Natural Bridge State Resort Park, 2135 Natural Bridge Road, Slade, KY 40376, (800) 325-1710

Producer, videographer: Gale Worth

... and a Day on the Lake

Mill Creek Lake

The main attraction at Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Powell County is, naturally, the bridge. But the park contains other lesser-known treasures, including a watery jewel called Mill Creek Lake. In this segment, host Dave Shuffett (making his Kentucky Life debut) canoes the lake’s 41 acres and explores some of the 4.6 miles of shoreline, where regular visitors Jack and Anita Tolson point out a beaver dam.

A paved parking lot just off Kentucky Highway 11 gives access to the Mill Creek Lake boat dock. Trolling motors only are allowed.

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